Western Berks Ambulance provides many services to the Community

Stand-by servicesIf you or a group that you are involved with would like to learn more about any of the above, please call us at 610-678-1545. We would be happy to help you out.

Basic Life Support Services (BLS)

Basic Life Support services include minor, non-life threatening emergencies that do not require advanced management for the current injury or illness. Injuries or illnesses that are considered BLS in nature are fractures, controlled bleeding, pain from falls, or flu-like symptoms in patients with stable vital signs. In these instances, the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) will accompany the patient in the back of the ambulance and transport you to the hospital if necessary. The EMT will monitor your vital signs to ensure that your condition does not deteriorate and will notify the hospital staff via radio to expect you.

Advanced Life Support Services (ALS)

Illnesses and injuries that require Advanced Support (ALS) include chest pain, respiratory distress, strokes, and severe injuries. In ALS cases, the Paramedic will accompany the patient to the hospital in the back of the ambulance. The Paramedic can start an IV (Intravenous Line), monitor the heart rhythm, and administer medications to correct life-threatening illnesses such as irregular heart beats and low blood pressures. These procedures are the same skills that can be accomplished in the Emergency Room of a hospital. By doing these skills “in the field”, we can decrease the instances that such injuries and illnesses prove fatal.

Wheelchair Services

Western Berks Ambulance operates six wheelchair units. With the ever changing health care environment, and the development of more stringent insurance guidelines, we discovered some people getting a large bill that their insurance companies would not pay. Insurance companies will not reimburse you for transportation that they consider not medically necessary. To counter this problem, and prevent our Community members from being responsible for a large bill, we bought a used wheelchair van. Since then we have had to add five more wheelchair units to handle the demand that developed in the Community. With this service, a person has the opportunity to be transported without having a bill that the insurance company will not pay.

Public Utility Commission Services

The Public Utility Commission regulates non-medical transportation in Pennsylvania. Western Berks Ambulance has a license to provide this type of transportation for the Community. An example of this type of service is transportation for a wheelchair-bound person to a wedding service or family outing.